In order to promote museum culture, admission to the Macao Museum, under the Cultural Affairs Bureau, and the Tak Seng On Traditional Pawnshop Museum will be free on the International Museum Day. The organisers will also organize two free public guided tours and a series of activities on the same day. Since 1977 the "International Museum Day" has been celebrated annually on 18th May by initiative of the International Council of Museums. The Macao Museum celebrates this date with a series of activities, including free admission and two guides tours, also free, at 11am (in Mandarin) and at 3pm (in Cantonese). On the same day, in order to promote the preservation work of the world cultural heritage and increase social awareness to cherish and protect Macao's historical heritage, the Museum organizes a lucky draw as well as a competition titled "Test your knowledge about Macao's World Heritage Sites", from 11am to 1pm and from 3pm to 5pm, to enrich the population's knowledge about these sites. Participation is open not only to residents but also to visitors. In May, museums around the world promote museological heritage. This year, the Macao Museum presents the Exhibition "Maritime Porcelain Road - Relics from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Museums" co-organized by the Guangdong Provincial Department of Culture, the Home Affairs Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government and the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, with artefacts from the Guangdong Museum, the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Macao Museum's collections. The exhibition displays the history and impact of the Chinese porcelain sea export trade, spanning for almost two millennia, from the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. This is already the second time the three regions cooperate to organize a large-scale relics exhibition. "Maritime Porcelain Road" will run from May 26th to October 7th 2012 at the Macau Museum, after which it will be displayed in Guangdong Province and Hong Kong. The opening ceremony of the exhibition will be held at 5pm on May 25th (Friday) at the Mount Fortress Garden. For more information, please call 28357911, during office hours, or visit the Macao Museum website at www.macaumuseum.gov.mo, or the website of the Cultural Affairs Bureau at www.icm.gov.mo.
